Games
by Red Quartz
Summary: Terrance didn't play video games much... now he lives one. Rated to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Real A/N: Okay, I'm going for a different approach in this fiction, so bear with me if it starts off odd or something. (When I say 'bear with me', I mean, 'tell me in a review and I'll try to fix it.')

Also, just because I didn't want to end up putting too much of myself into the author, and thus create a self-insert fiction, the main character is a boy. I want to avoid a self-insert because I realize that it looks really bad, and can end up being uninteresting to everyone but the author. This, I find, is because no one is half as interested in you as you are. Thus, I tend to avoid stories such as 'KaixOC' and SasuOC'.

But, I've gone overboard and started to drone on a bit. (And on things that you probably couldn't care less about, too…) On to the disclaimer:

I do not own Fire Emblem, or any of its characters. I do, however, own all original aspects of this fiction, including (but not limited to) any original characters, plots and ideas. I made no profit in the publication of this fiction.

My name is Terrance. It _was _Terry, until about the sixth grade, when I began to think of myself as 'too old' for names like Terry. But I do recall a period of time during my junior year in high school, which seemed like quite a while to me, where I'd have given nearly anything to be a fifth-grader named Terry.

Back then, I had an ego the size of New York, and a mouth to match. I was the big man on campus. Apparently, something about this gave me the idea that my mother was a complete bitch, and that I was the only one who could keep her at bay.

I had one dog, a German Shepard named Sadie, and one sister. Jay, my sister, is twelve and fluent in the Japanese language. I'm getting a 'C' in _English_. I'm glad she doesn't rub it in.

Jay isn't your average twelve-year-old girl. She is in love with the Fire Emblem game series. Specifically the Japanese ones, but she was elated when the Game boy game was released in English.

When the second followed, she was all the happier. I was happy because it was almost my seventeenth birthday. Seventeen is just one away from eighteen, which was the age I'd be when I left the house.

I remember waiting for my friend to call one night, and I found Jay's Game Boy on my bed, with Jay herself no where in sight. Weirder still, the game was on.

It was at a save screen, so I saved it and was ready to turn it off when it occurred to me that I had nothing to do. So, instead, I chose an empty game file and began.

Now, I hadn't played a strategy game in a while, but I believed I was doing well. It was late, though, and I was lying down. Sadie was asleep and laying across my stomach. Her rhythmic breathing was hypnotic, and I was beginning to nod off. The last thing I remember was a blue-haired kid bumping into Eirika.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hm? Your Highness, where is your bracelet?"

"My bracelet? It's… gone. Where could it be? Did that man--"

"I'll find him!"

I remember awaking to these voices. I was freezing for the most part, except where Sadie was laying on me.

"Don't worry about it, Seth. That bracelet was a gift from my father, but Ephraim needs our help. I can't let sentimentality get in my way of duty."

This was a girl's voice. Someone about my age.

"No, Princess… We must retrieve your bracelet regardless the cost. You cannot lose it. Let's go. We must hurry."

This was a guy… sounded a little older. But… "Princess"? What the hell? I opened my eyes. It was dark, but I could see the moon, which was partly covered by clouds. Wait… the moon?

I sat up. I was surrounded by trees…Where'd my bed go? Sadie sniffed, and got off my lap. I looked around and shivered. I was freezing, and I didn't recognize where I was. I looked down, and I felt my eyes grow as I pulled my legs up to my chest.

I was completely naked.

I heard more voices: "Franz, get Gilliam and the others- we're chasing a thief."

"Y…yes, General Seth."

I didn't know what to do. Slowly, I got up, and hid behind a tree. I looked in the direction the voices were coming from. Before I found them, I remembered what they'd said: "Princess", "Franz" and "Seth"? Those were the names from that game… The game! I'd fallen asleep playing it. Now… now I was dreaming! Ha!

I smirked. With a new confidence, I walked right out of the woods and into a clearing. The first thing I saw was a girl in a yellow dress. Her hair was blue. What is it with that? A lot of these characters seemed to have unnatural hair colors.

"Excuse me…" I said, finding my voice quieter than I'd intended. She turned.

The girl's face lost color almost immediately. I could feel my cheeks get warm, even though I knew it was a dream. "I was wondering if you could help me out…" I unintentionally flashed a shy smile. That was a lady-killer at school, so it was kind of an automatic thing around girls.

I thought she would scream. She looked ready to. Rather, she turned quickly and called, "Seth!"

I froze. Who was she calling?? I searched my memory. Seth… Seth…

The guy on the white horse!

"Princess Eirika??" Both the blonde kid and Seth came running. Seth also had an odd colored top, though it was more natural than blue. I became suddenly very self-conscious, though I was strong and relatively muscular.

Seth's first reaction was to move 'Eirika' away. He stepped in front of her and kept his arm out defensively. The blonde kid, who was actually smaller than me, put his hand to his sword's hilt. His face was red, though, and he kept his eyes at my face.

I quickly put my hands up to my chest and showed them my palms, "No, no… I just… err… need clothes."

This was a stupid dream.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thanks to Krypticghost for the review! This chapter is longer, but it's the length I plan to write most of my chapter. Caution for the crappy chapter ending. Here goes:

OoOoOoO

When I asked for clothes, I expected something normal. Jeans, a T-shirt. But, no. Of course not. I had hand-stitched pair of pants and a shirt, and I think it may have been burlap. I was a little proud at how accurate my dream seemed.

They began moving immediately. I don't think I was supposed to follow, but I did anyway. Seth kept looking back at me. They'd all asked for information, so I made some up. I remember Jay writing fan fiction, and she put herself in as someone named 'Nightblade'. So, I told them I was Nightblade's brother. I found this funny, (although now, as I look back, I have no idea why) and had to restrain a snicker.

I didn't get much reaction at all from this. Seth gave me an odd look, and Eirika wanted to know who Nightblade was. I didn't have an answer for this. Luckily, Seth shook his head and told them that it didn't matter: they had to retrieve the bracelet.

So, I trailed about six feet from them, not knowing what else to do. They walked all night. It was odd, but I actually felt sleepy. We got to where ever they'd been headed the next morning. They spread out, asking about anyone who matched the boy's description.

I tried to remember all their names. Moulder… the priest. Gilliam was the quiet guy in all the armor. Franz was the blonde kid, apparently about my age. Ross… he was the other kid. He seemed to be a tad younger than me. His dad was Garcia. Vanessa, also my age, rode the flying horse. A Pegasus. Yeah.

OoOoOoO

"The local villagers tell me that Babza's Bandits keep their lair nearby. A few of them saw a lad matching the description of our bracelet thief. It seems that the youth is one of these bandits." Seth said. He was talking to Eirika, but I couldn't help but hear. Who cares if he got mad, anyway?

Eirika was quiet for a couple seconds before saying, distantly, "Bandits… here in Renais, our homeland. I had no idea... burning our villages… stealing from our people with no fear of reprisal?"

"It wasn't always like this." Seth replied, "The Knights used to protect the citizenry… However, with Renais in ruins and her army tattered, law and order is hard to find. It doesn't look like the Grado army is interested in maintaining order here." He paused, "If nothing changes. It nothing changes, Renais will continue this sad plunge into savagery."

There was a long silence, when a new voice joined the conversation. I turned to see who it was. I hadn't heard anyone move. I was getting disappointed. So far I'd been having a physically accurate dream, for the most part, and now people walked silently and had pink hair. Pink-purple actually. Somewhere along the lines of fuchsia.

This girl was small, possibly a little younger than me. She was shy, and she looked frail. She stumbled over her words a little, "Uh… hello? Pardon me for asking… but are you some sort of mercenary troop?"

Eirika blinked, "Why do you ask?"

Neimi looked ready to cry, "P-p-please, you have to help Colm. You have to! I told him it was too dangerous, but he wouldn't listen to me!"

Eirika shook her head and replied, patiently, "You must calm yourself. Start at the beginning, and speak slowly."

"All right…" Neimi said, and sniffed. "I'm Neimi. I'm from… I used to be from a village called Lark. Except the village is gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Babza's Bandits burned it down. Only Colm and I escaped. The other villagers… the bandits attacked, and…" she trailed off there. Eirika stayed quiet.

So, Seth spoke up. He wasn't as kind as Eirika, but he wasn't exactly unkind, either. "Neimi, what are you doing here?"

"Babza's Bandits… they have a hideout here in these mountains. That's where Colm… um, Colm's my… uh… We've known each other since we were kids. He went to steal back something the bandits took from me…

Eirika looked concerned. "He went alone? That's a dangerous thing…"

"Yes, I know. Th-that's what I told him, but he wouldn't listen to me… If I lose Colm, too, I don't know… I…I'll…" She sniffed again, and wiped her eyes.

"Wait, please don't cry. Don't worry, we'll find your friend and see that he's not harmed."

Neimi looked up, her face bright, "Really? Really and truly? Oh, thank you! Thank you!!! I… I don't have much money, but I'll do anything to help."

Seth looked at Eirika, "Your Highness? What will it be?"

Eirika thought aloud, "If the thief we're after has gone to the bandits' lair as well…" Eirika looked at Seth and said decisively, "Well, it seems we share a common cause. She's a citizen of Renais, after all. And isn't it our duty to defend our countrymen?"

And, somehow, that was the end of the conversation.

We arrived at what was apparently the bandits' hideout, and Neimi told Seth that she was good with a bow. Seth told her to protect Eirika. I decided I'd protect Neimi. I'd been given an axe, which was fine. It was the only weapon they had that I knew how to use, because I chopped wood as a chore when I stayed with my grandparents and I'd leaned to use tomahawks at scout camp. I wondered if that really mattered, or if I could've picked up a sword and magically know how to use it.

Gilliam and Neimi went up the stairs. Eirika told Neimi to go look for her friend, and she would stay with Vanessa and Moulder. Franz and Seth broke down a wall and rode ahead, leaving Garcia to fight whoever was in the room.

The blue-haired kid came from nowhere, it seemed. I soon saw that this was Neimi's friend. They talked, and Gilliam moved past them into the next room. I followed Gilliam.

Inside, there were three treasure chests and a bandit. He charged me. Made sense, Gilliam in his armor and me in… burlap. He attacked. I panicked and froze. Luckily, He missed. I threw the hand axe, but it was heavier than a tomahawk.

I hit him, and he moved to attack again. I had no idea how to parry with an axe, and I kinda doubted I could. I put the axe up, anyway, and deflected his blade. Not by much, though. Instead of lobbing my head off, like I'm sure he planned, he put a large gash in my arm.

I looked to my arm, and then quickly back up. The bandit was dead. Gilliam had killed him. He looked at me and told me, rather gruffly, that I should get Moulder as soon as I had the chance.

The rest of the battle was like a hallucination. I couldn't stop looking at my arm, even after Moulder had healed it. Only a small scratch remained, but I kept shaking. I couldn't wrap my mind around it: I'd _felt_ that axe cut me. I felt **pain.** But I was dreaming… This wasn't real. Things like this don't happen in real life.

Babza was beaten, Seth got the Princess' bracelet, and Neimi and Colm decided to join us. Everyone ate, and then slept that night. I sat, staring at my arm. I couldn't think strait. I touched the scratch on my arm. It still hurt, even though just barely. This wasn't a dream…

'_This isn't a dream.'_


End file.
